The bodies keep emerging

It is six months since the twin towers of New York's World Trade Center crashed to the ground in the world's worst terrorist outrage. Yet recovery teams continue almost daily to pull the remains of friends and colleagues from the mountains of rubble.

Under the glare of arc lights, the sorrow can be seen etched on the faces of police commissioner Raymond Kelly and the men of the NYPD as they carry away coffins bearing the bodies of two more of the 23 police officers killed in the attack.

The bodies of John Perry and Sergeant Michael Curtin were taken from the site last week.

Next to the coffins follow a giant yellow excavator and a colour party bearing the Stars and Stripes flag given by the NYPD to the US Marine Corp when they launched President Bush's war against terrorism in Afghanistan.

Before it was returned to Ground Zero, it flew above a captured al Qaeda and Taliban southern fortress of Kandahar.

Sergeant Curtin's body was also shrouded in an Old Glory that flew in Kuwait during the Gulf War, where he served with the marines.

On the morning of 11 September he had gone to police headquarters to sign retirement papers. After training to be an attorney, he was planning to join a law firm but as word of the attacks spread he rushed out with his colleagues.

Marine major David Andersen said after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing, the former soldier spent seven hours retrieving the body of a fellow marine.

"He was a legend in the marines," said Major Andersen. "We wanted to do for him what he did for this marine. It was an absolute honour to represent my country and New York City by carrying his body out."

Another mark of America's respect for the victims of the terrorist attacks will be witnessed tonight when the Tribute In Light memorial - mile-high twin beams of light - will pierce the night sky.

The beams, which have been tested in the Nevada desert, will show for a month near where the twin towers stood.

Lighting designer Paul Marantz said: "We think it's unique," adding that with clear skies, the 50 sq ft shafts of light produced by 88 Xenon lamps may be seen from a radius of about 20 miles and might even be visible from space.

Thomas Healy, chairman of Creative Time, which helped oversee the project, said his group had received 12,000 letters and emails supporting the tribute.

Another memorial, The Sphere - a 45,000lb bronze and steel sculpture that used to stand in the World Trade Center plaza - will be placed in a contemplative park setting in Battery Park, just north of Ground Zero, and unveiled in a ceremony on Monday morning.